No Shortcut to Power
by LoveLifeForever
Summary: As Naruto once said to Konohamaru, there aren't any shortcuts to true power. But even Naruto never thought there might be more than one. As it happens, there are several...
1. Chapter 1

No Shortcut to Power

Summary: As Naruto once said to Konohamaru, there aren't any shortcuts to true power. But even Naruto never thought there might be more than _one_. As it happens, there are several...

Fall, 4 1/2 yrs. after Kyuubi attack.

Naruto was running as fast as he could, taking every shortcut he knew as he tried to keep up with the man that took his best friend. His eyes blazed a powerful, deep blue that seemed to shine in the night. He HAD to save his friend. She was his first friend, and she needed him now...

_**Flashback no Jutsu**_

_Naruto was climbing a tree, trying to see over the wall he had found. It was HUGE! There had to be some kind of treasure being guarded on the other side. Oh, how right he was..._

_Looking over the wall, Naruto saw the single most beautiful place he had ever seen. There were thousands of flowers. Blue ones, pink ones, red ones, and even orange ones – every color he could think of was there! It was so wonderful._

_Naruto had to get in there and see what they smelled like! If they smelled even half as good as they looked, it would be worth any trouble he might get in for breaking one._

_Carefully, the small blond lowered himself from the branch of the tall bendy-tree. Just before letting go, a memory surfaced, causing him to look around for a good sized rock. Tying it to the branch with some string he had, Naruto made sure it was going to stay inside the wall before moving on to explore._

_"_Never go in without a way out, that's what Jiji said. This should stay long enough for me to get back_," Naruto thought. Looking around he whispered to himself, "So many flowers! Maybe I can find a butterfly?"_

_Moving through his new garden – that's how Naruto saw it, at least – Naruto gave a small yelp of surprise when he came upon a small girl wandering through the garden with a pretty smile on her face. The girl, hearing the yelp, turned and yelped back before quickly hiding behind some roses._

_Naruto was the first to recover, being more used to being surprised. The four-year-old turned to face his new acquaintance and spoke. "Hi, I'm Naruto! Do you want to be my friend?"_

_Hinata Hyuuga was not used to people being so blunt, but thought that the boys smile looked nice, even if it intimidated her a little bit with its energy. "Hi, I'm Hinata. I could be your friend if you want to." Then her faced scrunched up as she wondered something. "How did you get over the wall? It's really tall! Not even my tou-san climbs it!"_

_Poor Hinata didn't realize that her father was perfectly capable of scaling the wall and had simply never done so because of clan propriety. Naruto, eager to talk to someone who didn't look at him in a mean way, told her of his latest adventure in treasure hunting, before deciding that he needed to show her the tree, as proof. Other people didn't tend to believe him, after all._

_"Here, come on, I'll show you the tree I came over on! It's really close to the wall, and the bendy branches are great for swinging on. That's how I got over; I grabbed a long branch and swung down."_

_It was at that exact moment that Hinata's mother began calling for her to come inside. Naruto panicked. "Ummm, I've got to go now. Can I come back again tomorrow and talk to you?"_

_"You can't stay anymore, Naruto?"_

_Naruto shook his head vigorously. "If I stay, the grown-ups will find out, and then you won't play with me anymore. It always happens. We gotta keep it a secret, okay?"_

_Hinata nodded. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Can I meet you in the flowers again?"_

_Naruto nodded with a huge smile. "I'll see you in the flowers Hinata!" With that, Naruto took the branch off the rock, and with a running leap he was over the wall._

_**Flashback no Jutsu: Kai**_

Naruto kept running, even as he started to get tired. He was slowly losing sight of his best freind. The older mean man wasn't using chakra in order to blend in, so he wasn't going as fast as he could be, but he was still moving pretty fast. The only things the blonde would-be-hero had on his side was an unreal stamina and the trick his best friend had taught him in the time since they got to know each other. Quick as he could, Naruto started twisting his hands in the weird way the blonde's first friend had shown...

_**Flashback no Jutsu**_

_The two had met up many times since that first day. They each talked about the things that bothered them. Hinata talked about how some of the old men in her family could be mean to her tou-san when they thought no one was paying attention. Naruto talked about how the grown-ups at the orphanage would sometimes give him mean looks and leave him alone for hours when he got hungry. Hinata started bringing large snacks to the flower garden, and Naruto started drawing pictures._

_It was on one of these days that Naruto came over to find his new friend practicing these weird shapes with her hands. One of them looked like the way Naruto would do to make a dog shadow._

_"Hey Hinata, what's that you're doing? Is that practice for shadow puppets? Let me show you this cool thing I drew the other day; it looks like a DRAGON!"_

_Hinata giggled at her friend. The short blonde said funny things sometimes, but that was her favorite thing about him. "These are the hand signs that ninja use to do their jutsu. Tou-san has me practicing them for when I start doing ninja training later."_

_Naruto's eyes got steadily wider as his first friend talked about getting started on ninja training so early, before a pout set in. "Awww, Jiji won't let me start ninja training until I'm five! You're so lucky!" Then his pout turned into a wide smile. "Ne, ne, Hinata-chan, do you think you could show me how to do those cool hand-thingies? I really want to be a good ninja when I grow up, and I'll need to be able to do those things just as good as everyone else. Could you please show me? Pleeeease?"_

_Hinata giggled. "Of course I would show you how! You are my best friend, Naruto, and we're going to be friends FOREVER!" For the rest of the day – indeed, from that day forth – Naruto and Hinata shared everything they had._

_**Flashback no Jutsu: Kai**_

Naruto panted heavily, desperately trying to keep up with the ninja. He was starting to run low on energy. Just when he thought he would collapse, Naruto felt a warmth begin covering his limbs as energy he didn't know he had flooded forth. It was like chakra, only… more. Naruto thought back on the day they vowed to be friends forever.

Forever onward, Naruto would mark that day as the greatest day of his life. The two grew closer than ever. Naruto brought his drawings and the various small treasures that he found each day, and Hinata helped him learn all the ninja things she was taught. When they both finally found their chakra, the two friends were ecstatic, laughing and hugging each other for hours as they worked. This continued until the day that would change both their lives forever...

_**Flashback no Jutsu**_

_"Here Naruto, tou-san showed me the most important symbols of our family today. They are what make our eyes work right – that's what he said, at least. The symbols are like this..." Here Hinata demonstrated, showing off her Byakugan. "It's really wonderful. I can see so many things; I can even see behind me!"_

_Naruto, being who he was, was determined to do the same thing, imitating the hand signs she had shown him, Naruto finished, only to have nothing happen. "Awww man, nothing happened! I thought I did it right!"_

_Hinata had not been told the nature of the Byakugan. She simply knew that they did it and it worked. Thinking this, she spoke, trying to cheer him up. "Try again, Naruto. I'm sure you can do it! Just keep going; you can make it!"_

_Naruto did it again, this time making sure to try and make his chakra go into his hands. Still nothing happened. "Try again, Naruto. It will work, I just KNOW it."_

_As they say it, third time's the charm. As he did the final seal, Naruto channeled as much energy into his hands as he could. When nothing happened, Naruto slapped his hand to his face in frustration. Instantly, Naruto's head was flooded with information as his brain got impulses that it wasn't used to dealing with. Unable to cope fully, Naruto fell onto his butt as his surroundings swirled. Shortly after that, he collapsed as the strain upon his young mind overwhelmed Naruto._

_"You were right, Hinata. This IS really awesome, even if it's making me feel dizzy right now. I'm going to use this so much. Now I can sneak out even MORE often than before, 'cause the ladies won't catch me when I can see them."_

_**Flashback no Jutsu: Kai**_

It had been several months since then, and Naruto had come a long way. While he still had some trouble with the full vision all around, it was really simple to look in one direction and just see through objects. It was this that allowed him to track the bad man that took Hinata.

Naruto heard swearing as the man prepared to jump down from the roof to evade the sudden patrol of ninja that had taken to the roofs since word of the Hyuuga heiress's disappearance had spread.

Instantly, the young blonde knew what he had to do. Getting ahead of the bad man, Naruto hid himself in the shadows and waited until the man was nearly upon him before coming out of the shadows and... WHAM!

The ninja from Kumo collapsed as his crotch found out first-hand what the rest of Konoha had learned over the past four years: Naruto had a VERY hard head.

Naruto had intentionally leaned into the blow to cause maximum damage. It was a really mean thing to do, but fortunately for his conscience Naruto could pass it and the subsequent 'crotch-drop' by each of his elbows and knees as a total accident - he WAS pretty clumsy after all. Bad Man had found out the hard way just how vicious the special Uzumaki brand of justice was when properly motivated.

Naruto quickly untied the sack on the man's back and pulled Hinata into a hug. She was shaking like... well like a leaf. Seeing her so scared, Naruto decided to lighten the mood. "Who said you're allowed to leave? You're my best friend, and you're going to stay that way FOREVER, just like you promised, 'ttebyo!"

Hinata's crying subsided as Naruto spoke; by the time he called out his catch phrase, she was giggling into the shirt of her best friend. He really WAS her best friend. "Don't you worry, Naruto-kun. I won't ever try to leave you, I promise."

It was unfortunate that the two, in their haste to assure each other that they were okay, forgot about their prisoner. The Kumo ninja got up and slowly approached the two, pulling out a kunai as he prepared to wreak painful vengeance on the little blonde brat that had gotten in his way. Closer, closer, just a few more steps and...

A pained, high-pitched whine filled the air. Hinata's head shot up just as the man collapsed, revealing their savior - Itachi Uchiha, knee still raised from the crotch shot he performed. To understand how he got there, we need to look back a few hours...

_**Flashback no Jutsu**_

"What does that boy think he's doing? Doesn't he realize that entering a clan compound in secret can make Very Bad Things happen?_"_

_Itachi Uchiha was confused, frustrated and irritated - in that order. The day had been going so well. He had met up with Shisui to wait in line for the next shipment of pocky. For introducing the young genius to the wonder outs sweet, Shisui had been designated as Itachi's best friend._

_After getting his necessary crate of guilt food, Itachi had gone wandering around. He had fun at the various stands, and even managed to win a cute puppy plushy to give to his younger brother. Wandering away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds, Itachi reveled in the peace the village was enjoying that night._

"This is what love. I fight for the peace of the Village. I want to see the simple joys - children laughing without care, mothers commiserating about their troubles with their husbands, fathers conspiring with children to confound their wives with mischief..._"_

_Itachi's thoughts began to darken as he thought of the plots that were being contemplated within his clan with increasing frequency. Recent rumors had unsettled the joy the Uchiha found in serving the village. If the Hokage could not find a way to ease the clan's worries, drastic measures might be necessary. War could even break out._

_It was most fortunate that he would be encountering Naruto that night._

_It was as he was walking back to the compound that Itachi noticed a small blonde boy go past at a rather fast pace for someone his size. Curiosity, more than anything, drove Itachi to follow the boy, trying to figure out where anyone could be off to in such a serious hurry, especially during a festival._

_So engrossed in focusing on the blond was he, that the young prodigy completely failed to notice the reason said young blonde was out at such a late hour until it literally fell INTO the boy._

_Let it not be said that Uchiha Itachi cannot be surprised. Naruto, who would one day earn the title of 'Konoha's Most Surprising Ninja', began earning it that very day when he managed to bring down a fully vetted shinobi using the most viable weapon available at the time: his head._

"Hmmm… that looks like fun. I think I'll give it a try."_ He drew back his leg and… POW! Thus we see Itachi's first steps towards… the Dark Side…_

_**Flashback no Jutsu: Kai**_

As they waited, Naruto and Hinata kicking the ninja in the crotch or dropping a knee onto his head whenever he showed any signs of coming to. Itachi had to hold in many a wince as the man's voice gradually progressed from a baritone to a soprano. It was almost twenty minutes later when Hiashi Hyuuga found them together.

He came upon them just as Hinata and Naruto had reared back to each kick him in the head and the crotch, respectively. When the blows came down, Hiashi heard what seemed like a voice from the past that made his blood run cold in prophetic terror: "...and stay down or face the further wrath of Uzumaki justice, dattebayo!"

Deciding that the poor ninja – he _had _only been doing his ninja duty, after all – had been through enough, Hiashi made his presence known. Giving a discreet nod to the Uchiha, the clan head cleared his throat.

"Tou-san!" Hinata quickly ran over and hugged Hiashi's legs as tight as she could. Feeling her shaking in relief, Hiashi couldn't help but think, "_Perhaps he deserved some of it after all... I still wouldn't wish more 'justice' on him._"

Itachi, seeing the situation resolved, decided to make himself scarce. Naruto quickly tried to follow his example, but it was not to be.

"And just where do you think you're going, young man? You weren't about to leave the scene of the crime were you? That could be very suspicious, you know." Even as he said this, Hiashi allowed a small smile to curve his lips. "_It really is fun to finally get to intimidate an Uzumaki, even if it is only her child._"

Naruto, of course, instinctively knew he could not allow this. His inner redhead came to the fore as he spoke. "I can't be leaving the scene of a crime. I didn't _do_ anything! So _nyah_!"

Hiashi's smile dropped flat, even as he laughed all the more on the inside.

"_He really is her son. There's no mistaking that brash behavior. Even the Inuzuka aren't so nonchalant around authority figures._" Shaking himself, Hiashi decided to get down to business.

"I need to ask something, Naruto Uzumaki. How did you manage to find my daughter and capture her kidnapper before any other ninja in the village?"

Naruto froze before becoming somewhat sheepish... right before his story-telling nature sent common sense flying out the window. "Well, I was sneaking in to find Hinata that night because..."

_**Flashback no Jutsu**_

_Naruto really wanted to show his friend the book he had found. Even though it was night time and he probably shouldn't have, he needed to show her. It had his _name_ in it – _his NAME_!_

"Why does this book have my name in it? Is this where I got my name? Maybe someone knew how awesome I was and came back from the future to write a story about how I was a big hero!"

_Naruto continued running until he came to the familiar spot in the wall that he had always climbed over... only to see a grown ninja about to climb over the top._

"What is he doing? Who does he think he is?! That's MY sneaking spot! He can find his own!" _Then Naruto saw the bag on his back._ "He's stealing from my friend's secret garden! Why did he do that?"

_Deciding he had to know, Naruto went through the various hand signs to do the eye trick his best friend had shown him a few months ago. What he saw made him absolutely red with rage. "_Oh no he DIDN'T! He is NOT going to steal my best friend. She's the only one I've got and NO ONE gets to take her away, DATTEBAYO!_"_

_Enraged, Naruto set off after the Bad Man that was about to have a Very Bad Night, Byakugan still activated to keep him in sight..._

_**Flashback no Jutsu: Kai**_

"Now wait just a second, what do you mean that you have my 'eye trick'?"

Naruto, foreseeing the disbelief of yet another grownup, decided that simply showing him proof was the only way out of this. Flying through the various hand seals, Naruto put his hands in the final seal. "Watch this!"

When his hands landed on the final seal, Naruto yelled out, "Awesome Blue Eye Trick!"

Just as his description said, Naruto's eyes turned solid blue, his iris expanding into the rest of the eye to make it solid blue. If one looked closely, they would see small black lines almost forming a circle in his eye.

Hiashi immediately tested it, getting behind Naruto and holding up three fingers in one hand and four in the other.

"That's a lucky seven Hiashi-san, roll again," Naruto called out cheekily.

Hiashi stared incredulously for a moment. "Do you mean to tell me that you have the Byakugan?"

"Is that what it's called? I just called it 'the cool funny eye trick'! So it actually has a name? Awww, man, that's not even half as cool as some of the other names I came up with for it! Lame..."

Hiashi sweat-dropped as Naruto went on a diatribe about the lackluster naming conventions of the Hyuuga clan – clans in general, actually. Inside, his mind was a whirlwind of activity – a fitting reaction given Naruto's name.

"_How did he perform it without knowing the proper name? Why does it look so different? How the hell does he even _HAVE_ it? I know for a fact that Kushina had red hair, and there were only a few people with that color of yellow when she died. The women are out, so that leave a handful of civilians and unimpressive shinobi, Inoichi Yamanaka and... No it JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! Curse you Uzumaki and your unpredictable nature... Ugh, I'm going to have a massive headache for this, I just know it._"

Seeing the look on Hinata's face, however, as she giggled at her friend's antics, he could only think one thing of his next decision and its inevitable consequences: "_...worth it._"

Coughing, he regained Naruto's attention. "Naruto, how would you like to come learn with Hinata and her family?"

Naruto's eyes grew impossibly wide as his excitement began to bubble out, his body vibrating with joy.

"Really? I could be with Hinata all the time? I wouldn't have to sneak in anymore? I mean, it's a whole lot of fun acting like I'm a ninja sneaking into an enemy fortress, but sometimes it would be nice to stay and talk with her some more and I could-"

Hiashi cut him off before the blond _really_ got going. "Yes, Naruto, you can stay. I'll let you learn the shinobi arts along with Hinata and Neji."

"Yatta! I can finally meet Neji-neesan! This is going to be _awesome_! We can pull pranks together and hide together and..."

Hiashi sighed and decided to just let the blond have his time to talk about the turn for the better his life had just taken. He groaned, however, upon remembering what he just KNEW would come next: Council meeting. "_At least I can keep it to just the ninja half. God knows how annoying some of the guild representatives can be._"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Hyuuga Hiashi, step forward," said Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage. Murmuring came from around the room. 'The Ino-Shika-Cho brothers were usually quieter than that. Or perhaps the room just had good acoustics? Hmmm, something to think about another time...'

As Hiashi stepped forward, the Sandaime tried to get a read on what might be coming. It was no use. When he wanted to, the man could become a vault for his own emotions. It had earned him the nickname 'Stonewall' in more than one circle.

Never let it be said that Hiashi Hyuuga is a coward. Nonetheless, he was thoroughly humbled every time he had to stand before the Third. The Professor, as he was known to the other villages, had a way of making anyone that spoke to him feel like a child if he so chose. He was truly a formidable shinobi. Right now, the Third was having that effect on everyone in the room, barring his old teammates and Danzo. Stepping forward, Hiashi gathered his nerves and spoke.

"I received word from one of the ANBU on duty last night that an incident had occurred which involved one of your clansmen. What happened this past evening?"

Hiashi took a breath to center his nerves before speaking. "Last night I had gone to sleep following the festival of the treaty. Several hours later, I awoke to a… disturbance in my surroundings. Unable to pinpoint what it was, I used my dojutsu to look for anything out of place. It was at this point that I found my daughter to be missing from her bed and, upon further search, the compound."

There was a series of gasps from around the room. While it wasn't exactly uncommon to have a member of a clan go missing, especially given the nature of some of the jutsu that Konoha made use of, the stealing of an heir or heiress was tantamount to a declaration of war. It was an old way of saying that the village responsible believed they had the strength to deflect even the most determined pursuit and saw the host village as too weak to be of note. This was a grave insult considering it involved one of the most powerful clans in the village.

"Immediately realizing that there was no way she would voluntarily leave the area at such an hour, I made hast to track her kidnapper. It was a few minutes later that I came upon a… rather bizarre scene. My daughter was indeed in the hands of her kidnapper, so to speak," Hiashi paused as a smile made itself known on his face, "but that was mostly because she was _stepping_ on his hands. With her was the Uzumaki child. He was dispensing 'true justice, Uzumaki style.'"

Those assembled shuddered at the reminder of… old wounds. While Naruto had not yet reached an age to be a terror, his mother, Kushina, had been well known for a fiery temper during her Academy years. The thought of her son, empowered by the Kyuubi, deciding to reap similar justice from those that had wronged him filled them all with a special kind of terror. It was not going to be painful – not much anyway – but it _would_ be humiliating in the extreme.

"Needless to say, the man was fully incapacitated. They were also accompanied by ANBU agent Crow, who I believe was a key factor in bringing the kidnapper to justice. Unfortunately, the kidnapper died of his bizarre wounds before I realized he needed treatment. I am willing to accept full responsibility for their actions in defense of my daughter and submit myself to your judgment."

Of those assembled, none was more stunned than Fugaku Uchiha. Here was the head of a clan which rivaled his own in prestige within the village, willing to accept blame for something he could easily heap upon Fugaku's firstborn. Between Hyuuga and Uchiha, it was an unprecedented move.

At this moment, Hiashi and Fugaku understood each other. They weren't Hyuuga and Uchiha, nor were they even fellow ninja of different specialties. No, they were two fathers who understood exactly how precious a child was. He could only watch in stunned silence as the Village Elders whispered with the Third before saying that they would inform the Raikage of this development and call another meeting when the reply was given.

Had anyone been paying attention, they would have seen the smirk on the face of Hiashi and the muted reaction of a certain ANBU watching from the rafters.

/

Naruto stumbled out of his room the next morning, making his way to the bathroom down the hall. He hadn't ended up getting to sleep until it was very late, so it was going to take a little longer to wake up, even if he _had_ slept in to make up for the lost hours.

Despite having a mind that was easily distracted, Naruto's body worked best when it stayed on schedule. He had not yet developed the critical shinobi skill of surviving on what sleep he could get. That was most fortunate, as it could have stunted his growth by starting at such an early age, causing problems like Itachi Uchiha's rumored stamina problems. (Minds out of the gutter ya perverts!)

Chakra was amazing stuff, but it wasn't magic. It worked _with _reality, not around it… at least on most days. Throw in a bloodline base gene, add a ritual circle of like-minded brainless believers, a pinch of the mysterious 'deus ex' mineral – discovered by the Akimichi clan on the edge of the world – and who knows what kind of monstrosities could be formed! Maybe there _was _magic in this world…

After finishing up with his morning routine, Naruto was as ready as ever to explore his new home. In his past visits, Naruto had not dared venture past the extensive gardens on the south wall of the compound, so there was still a lot to see. He was very eager to find the training grounds to see what cool jutsu the Hyuuga had. But first, he needed breakfast.

"Raaaaaamen! I'm hungry. Where's the food, and why is everyone still asleep. It's time to be awake!"

It was _very_ fortunate for Naruto that he had slept in, as a similar commotion at his usual waking time might have ended in an early grave, regardless of his status as a hero among Hiashi's family or protected citizen by the Third. There was very little that could set off an adult Hyuuga's temper, but interrupting their beauty sleep was close to the top. The Hyuuga were vain, and _everyone_ knew it, even them.

It took Naruto nearly ten minutes to find the kitchens. There, he found several young and quite pretty girls working on the midday meal. It was…

"Fish and rice? But where's the ramen? I mean that looks good, but ramen just leaves you feeling so _full!_ It's better than any other food in the world for leaving you full!"

That was the truth of Naruto's love of ramen. In the years to come he _would_ love the variety of flavors that ramen could assume, but the biggest draw of the food was that it was unlikely to go bad, easy to prepare, cheap and filling. Considering Naruto's circumstances, this made for an attractive combination. He was more than willing to try other foods. He just didn't want to be hungry when his money ran out. Considering his appetite and income, it was pretty much the _only_ thing that would suffice.

One of the cooking girls giggled at the cute face Naruto made, even if his young voice was a little annoying when it was loud. "Don't worry Naruto-chan, you will be able to eat as much as you need. We won't ever let you go hungry… unless you do something bad. Then we might take away the fish."

Being surprisingly perceptive as many young children can be, Naruto caught the tease and smiled before what she had said registered fully. When he looked up at her next, his eyes held something akin to adoration in their affection. "I… I won't be hungry… _ever_? _Never ever_? You _really_ mean it?"

The girl started to tear up as she pulled Naruto into a hug. "Oh, Naruto-chan, you can _count on it_. I'll never let you be hungry again, or my name isn't Hyuuga Haku. I'll _always_ be your neechan."

Naruto hugged her back as happiness burst out inside of him. "This is _awesome_! Now I have _two_ neechans! You've got to meet my other neechan. She's as nice as you and makes food too and she's pretty like you! You'll be really good friends, I just know it!"

Had Naruto been paying attention, he might have seen the spark that entered Haku's eyes. She had just met the boy, but she was already incredibly fond of him. That another girl had claimed her place as his neechan set something off in her. She put it aside until she met the girl, as Naruto might be right about this girl.

"I'd love to meet your neechan. We could visit her some time when I'm not working. What do you think of that?"

Naruto lit up like the sun. "Yatta! You and Ayame-neechan are going to be awesome friends, and I'm going to be the greatest ninja and protect you both forever! That's a promise!"

Haku was a little startled by how fervent he was, but her heart was warmed by his promise. "You really promise?"

"I really promise! I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm going to always keep my promises!" Naruto threw up his fist and suddenly started dancing around, acting as if he was fighting off the enemies already.

Haku laughed, rapidly growing fond of the blond ball of sunshine. "Well, if you're going to protect me, you must be strong. If you're going to be strong, you must train. And if you're going to train, you must eat and eat well!"

Naruto grinned and jumped onto a nearby stool. "Alright, so what's for breakfast?"

Haku giggled. "It will be more of a lunch, but on the menu, we have fish, rice with curry on the side, and shrimp sushi.

/

Haku was currently walking with Naruto as they made their way to the ramen stand that Naruto and the Third had frequented on several occasions. Business was currently slow, so Naruto figured now was as good a time as any to introduce his two neechans to each other. Poor, ignorant, adorable little Naruto.

"Teuchi-ojisan, is Ayame-neechan here today? I want to introduce her to someone _really _important!"

Teuchi looked up to see his favorite customer walking in with a girl he wasn't familiar with, although her pale eyes gave away her clan status. "Quiet down, brat! Just because business is slow, doesn't mean I've always got time to do what you want!"

Naruto just smirked, familiar with Teuchi's harsh humor. "Aw, shut up ya old fart! I've got another neechan that I want Ayame to meet so they can be friends with me together!"

'Naruto, you little heartbreaker, you're going to be a hit with the ladies one day. Just like that half-wit father of yours.' Teuchi wasn't referring to Namikaze Minato's shinobi prowess when he called him a half-wit. The man was a genius on the battlefield. Unfortunately he was also more oblivious off the battlefield than Hatake Kakashi when it came to women. He smirked as he saw Naruto rearing up to start a yelling match again. "Ayame-chan, Naruto's here and he brought a friend!"

From behind the curtain separating the kitchen from the rest of the booth, a girl of about twelve came flying out, arms outstretched to grab her favorite little blond. "Naruto-kun, you're here! I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been! Are you alright? Maki-teme isn't bothering you again, is he?"

Naruto just smiled widely and began talking with his third 'favorite person in the world'. Not to be confused with his 'third favorite person in the world', as this referred to the Third, ironically. Second place belonged to Teuchi, as he had more time for Naruto. First was a three-way tie between Hinata, Ayame and Haku.

It was about this time that Ayame noticed Haku. "Who's this Naruto?"

Naruto smiled. "This is Haku-neechan! She's a lot like you! She wants to take care of me, and she likes making food, and she's really nice! You two should be friends!"

If Ayame were a jealous person, she probably would have struck up a rivalry with Haku for Naruto's affection as his favorite neechan. Fortunately for Naruto, Ayame's temperament more closely resembled that of Hinata. "Hi, my name is Ayame! If Naruto says you would be a good friend, that's good enough for me! Friends?"

Haku, who was more used to the competitive nature of the Hyuuga, was taken off guard by Ayame's personality. She smiled, realizing that Naruto was right.

"Friends."

With that, the two shook hands, sealing a bond of friendship that would last them until the end of their lives. They would forever remain united by a common bond with the little blond they wished to protect, who would eventually protect them. He was their adorable, charismatic little Naruto.

/

Three days after the first meeting, the Hokage and his Elders returned with the Raikage's reply before the other members of the ninja council. The terms did not surprise Hiashi at all. They were demanding Hiashi's body as payment for their lost ambassador, as well as that of their ambassador. It was what he would have done… given the current set of information.

"Hiashi," spoke Sarutobi. "It would seem that our gambit played out perfectly."

Everyone turned to look at Hiashi in surprise. Hiashi just smirked and nodded to a seemingly empty rooftop. All of a sudden, Itachi appeared in full ANBU gear before the Hokage's party. "The prisoner remains secure in the care of Ibiki and Inoichi."

Homura chose this moment to speak. "Hokage-sama, what is the meaning of this? What did you mean by a gambit? Is there something you have not told us?"

Sarutobi just smirked. "As a matter of fact, there is. I have just pulled my first prank in years, and I must say the results are utterly delicious. I see why Kushina Uzumaki enjoyed them so much in her youth."

Koharu was beyond frustrated and confused by the cryptic language the Sandaime was using. "If you would, Hiruzen-sama, could you please let the rest of us in on this joke of yours?"

Sarutobi smiled. "It would be my genuine pleasure. You see, I allowed everyone but myself who would be at that meeting to operate under the false knowledge that Hiashi's prisoner had died. In actuality, he was perfectly fine, minus some severe bruising to his genitals."

Every man there winced in sympathy pain. One did not make it to any meaningful rank without having once gotten nutted. Most of them were simply wise enough to develop a tolerance for this specific pain.

Sarutobi continued after the 'moment of silence'. "I went there specifically to see just how far the Raikage would push things only so that I would be able to counter to the same degree when I presented the truth of the matter."

Danzo chose this moment to speak. "What do you intend to do now?"

"I'm going to take the entire party captive as invasive elements and then demand a renegotiation for the return of both the ambassador _and_ the captured retrieval party. If the Raikage happens to object, then I will simply have to relieve him of his delusions." Here the Third grew very fierce. "I will remind that arrogant bastard my most formidable title – Kami no Shinobi. I will school him like the Professor I am and discipline him as the overgrown child he has become."

Even as anger overcame him at having been outmaneuvered, Danzo gave a nod to the prowess of his old rival. It strangely warmed him to know that his rival had not completely lost that old edge which had made him the most feared man in the Elemental Nations.

"Hiashi, how _exactly _did Uzumaki Naruto manage to track down Hinata's kidnapper? He had evaded every security route within the village – a feat that should also be looked into – and was not in any way broadcasting a signal for the _boy_ to follow."

'I never mentioned that he had evaded all pursuers. I am positive that Hokage-sama could not account for all ANBU until after the meeting, and that would not have been something to discuss with others. The only way he could have known was if… _if the bastard knew what was happening all along! _Of course, how could I have been so _stupid_! Danzo must have staged this, but why? I will have to watch him and what he says closely.' Hiashi paused, then fought a smirk as satisfaction washed through him. 'Well here's a wrench in your damn plots, you one-eyed war hawk.'

"It was by a strange twist of fate that Naruto-kun was able to track my daughter's kidnapper." Hiashi couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces, so he turned on his Byakugan, appearing to check for listeners as he continued. "Naruto-kun was able to track her because he has the Byakugan."

"The Byakugan? That's impossible! We all know that the boy's eyes bear no resemblance to those of the Hyuuga. Besides that, how could he possibly manage to learn how to activate it?!" Fugaku Uchiha was beyond incredulous and well into the range of 'I-need-a-drink'. Several others were right there with him.

"... Troublesome. Did you test to see whether or not it was as effective as the standard Byakugan? I think we are all familiar with just how troublesome the boy can be when he wants attention."

Hiashi nodded. "I did. He has the same initial sight that all Byakugan possess. I held up some fingers behind him and had Naruto call out how many there were. There was no way to clue him in to how many there were, either, as my daughter stood beside me. Apparently, they had been friends for some time before she learned the hand-signs of activation, so she taught him most of what I taught her, including how to activate the dojutsu. The boy most definitely has the Hyuuga dojutsu, cosmetic differences aside."

The Sandaime leaned back in his chair, ignoring that final comment for later investigation. What he had to say next would be absolute and without question. "Hiashi, I will say this once. That boy is not to receive the Caged Bird Seal. If you so much as allow it past contemplation, I will end you. If your Elders demand it... I will fight them all to the death."

A collective breath was sucked in as the Sandaime spoke. Military village though it was, Konoha had not seen a _true _death duel of justice since the decision of that saw Hashirama Senju made Shodaime Hokage. Everyone knew how that had ended.

So when the Sandaime threatened such a thing, _everyone_ took him seriously. You simply DIDN'T do such things lightly.

Hiashi gulped. Arrogant though some ninja in the Hyuuga clan could be – that is to say most of them – Hiashi held no illusions about the chances the Hyuuga elders stood against Hiruzen, even all at once.

The man hadn't given _himself_ the title 'God of Shinobi', after all. He earned that name with _other_ ninjas' blood, sweat and tears. Few men lived in greater infamy in ninja circles… On that note, perhaps he could convince the Elders they had a chance to take over the village and be rid of them? No, accounting for their deaths would take up more paperwork than he wanted at the moment.

"They will be warned. That being said, I would like to be allowed to have Naruto to live in my clan's compound. At least this way he can grow up in some semblance of family."

Were it not for this latest development, Hiruzen couldn't have allowed it. A clan taking an interest in a boy off the street, especially one off the street, would have been suspicious. This way, however, there was every reason for him to be taken in, as to leave Naruto on the streets would seem _far_ more suspicious.

They all knew Naruto's heritage, although only three were explicitly told such things; they were still ninja. His thoughts on possible alternate fathers had been purely because of the shock of seeing the Byakugan on Minato's child. That blond hair certainly didn't come from his mother's side. It wasn't like there was ever a blond branch of the Uzumaki clan after all...

***On a distant shore***

Temujin sneezed as he wandered along the beach.

Temujin's mother smiled as one of the women with her squealed. "Oh how cute!"

***Council Chambers***

"I have a different idea. While the thought of Naruto having a mentor is advantageous, I do not believe having Naruto live in your compound for the long term would be to his benefit. Your Elders might try to unduly influence him if they believed they controlled his residence, and that is not something I will allow to happen, ever. They hold enough control over your clan as it is."

The Third cut off Hiashi before he could argue. "That being said, I believe it would be wise for him to live there for at least a year or two until he is capable of looking after himself to a degree. There is a vacant apartment near the compound that would make an acceptable residence for Naruto at that point. If, by the time he is ten, Naruto decides he wishes to live at your compound, he may do so."

"Now, there will be several conditions for his training, and they will all be non-negotiable. First, let me make something clear. Naruto will learn what you choose to teach him, but the boy will not be subjected to your clan's laws – including its Caged Bird Seal – at any time, on any matter."

"To attempt such will be considered an act of war by all explicitly involved and will incur my wrath. He may be considered an honorary member, but I'll not allow politicking to protect your clan's cruelty should you attempt to use it on him. Also, I will warn you. Regardless of your clan's abilities, the guard Naruto has stays until _he_ can defend himself."

Hiashi nodded. "That is acceptable. Thank you, Sandaime-sama. I will teach him well."

Danzo seethed. This entire incident should have been the first seeds of discord sown against those accursed dojutsu clans. With Hiashi gone, the Hyuuga would be weakened. They would be fed evidence that the Uchiha were part of it as a plan to weaken the Hyuuga clan as the only rival to their powerful eyes. In turn, the Hyuuga would spread rumors against the Uchiha clan's loyalty to the village. When the Uchiha provoked hostilities, they would be destroyed.

From there it would be simple to expose the full function of the Caged Bird Seal and incite terror in the civilians of a hostile takeover by cursed seal. The Hyuuga would be destroyed by very seal they somehow created. With the Hyuuga and Uchiha gone, no single force would be strong enough to stand up to his ROOT army. He could slowly eliminate the rest of the clans as he saw fit should they challenge him. As if all that weren't enough, he now had to contend with the boy's guards. Now his plans would need to be reevaluated.

'Damn, I was hoping that eventually I would be able to get one of my ROOT to his watch. It would have been the perfect time to capture him. With the Hyuuga watching him, there will be no way of taking the boy unless I am very fortunate, and I will not depend on luck. I will just have to be watchful and wait for an opportunity. He is still vulnerable at night, after all.'


	3. Chapter 3 Preview

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. Between family get-togethers, road trips and special vacation time, I've been completely slammed and unable to update. The fam's got a special 'no electronics' rule while around relatives, so I couldn't even work on it. Fear not, however, for I am currently working on a new chapter for all three of my running stories. Here's a preview of chapter three for _No Shortcut to Power_.

_"Hello, I am Hyuuga Neji, Hinata-sama's most loyal protector and guardian."_

_Naruto smiled at him. "Hi Neji! I'm Naruto and I'm Hinata's best friend ever for life! If you're gonna protect her, then I guess I'll be your friend, too! Is that okay?"_

_Neji gave Naruto a funny look. "Am I not already a friend? By protecting her, I am being a friend, yes?"_

_Naruto shook his head. "No, just protecting her means you're a guard. Those are cool, too, but friends are even better. They protect you, and play with you and you even make food and have adventures together. It's like a guard that got upgraded!"_

_Neji's face lit up with understanding. "So a friend is a guard who is even better than a guard! Then that is what I shall strive to be from this day forth! I will forever be a good friend to Hinata-sama as is my duty!"_

_Naruto just laughed. "I guess that's pretty close, but it's not about duty! Being a friend is a choice you make! That's what makes it so special! You can't force anyone to be your friend, although I guess you _can _convince them. It's got to be your choice."_

_Neji was obviously not understanding, but he decided to go along with it anyway. He could have his father explain later so that he understood better._


End file.
